Mission Statement

To provide a focus for academic and industrial organisations involved in the research and development of laser source and delivery technology and laser materials processing applications; to identify common needs and create the possibility of joint initiatives and activities.

Scope of the PPI Group includes:

The establishment of a UK-wide virtual laser laboratory or a consortium of UK laser processing research centres. Possibilities deriving or related to this concept include:

• Launching a web-based directory of laser and laser related equipment and research personnel.
• Providing a web-based Forum for researchers to communicate through.
• Providing a web site portal for industry to access laser materials processing research laboratories.
• Undertaking coordinating activities to address common interests and perhaps defining future needs (e.g. updating the UK Photonics Strategy).
• Providing links with funding organisations (Photonics²¹, EU Commission, UK Government bodies).
• Developing a bridge to cross the TRL 4-6 gap for the development of new products and processes/technologies.
• Support an organisation, or a group of organisations, who can interact with the relevant research providers, identify potential commercialisation winners, create strategies for the development of those products or processes and carry out the development in conjunction with companies or individuals who could turn the development into a product.
• The PPI Group could provide the forum for debate on technology transfer in the laser-processing context, squaring the circle between industrial customers looking for practical and economic solutions and research centres offering creativity and originality.
• The PPI Group could provide research workshops and technology transfer activities.

2008-2009 Chair of the group: Professor Lin Li, The University of Manchester.

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Technology Strategy Board Competition

A cut down version of a report “Grant-supported collaborative R&D: is it for you?” by Martin Sharp appeared in Issue 53 of the AILU magazine. The full report is available for AILU Members to download from the Member’s area Document Library in the Strategy section.

Download A Practical Guide to EU funding opportunities for Research and Innovation from the CORDIS: Community Research and Development Information Service.

See below for more details of current technology Strategy Board competitions.

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The AILU Report on R&D in Laser Materials Processing: Identification of opportunities and Competency map of top-level providers

This report comes in two parts. Part 1 Identifies current UK research and development opportunities in laser materials processing and is based on the results of a brainstorming session involving invited members of the UK laser materials processing academic and industrial research community held in November 2008. Part 2 is a competency map of top-level UK providers of R&D in laser materials processing and is based on information collected during the Summer of 2008.

This report is also available for AILU Members to download from the Member’s area Document Library in the Strategy section.

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Joining the PPI Group

Membership of the PPI Special Interest Group (SIG) is free and open to AILU members and Photonics KTN members alike.

To be added as a PPI SIG member simply contact the AILU office. If you are already an AILU member or have registered on the AILU web site, simply request to join. Otherwise, please include in the email your full contact details.

Why join?

As a member of the medical special interest group you will be alerted to workshops and other networking events, and will be given the opportunity of influencing the program of PPI SIG activities.

Also, as a member you will have access to the on-line PPI SIG Forum, where you can post a question of discussion point, respond to other peoples inputs, or simply review the existing material. However you use the forum it will be a worthwhile experience.

In all of these activities you will be connecting with other researchers, equipment suppliers and end users who share your interest in the application of lasers.

Accessing the on-line PPI SIG Forum

To access the forum you first need to login using your assigned name and password. The entry point is in the top right corner of this page. (tip: If you are still using the random number/letter password you were originally given, why not change it to something memorable by clicking on the ‘edit details’ link after you’ve logged in?)

Once you do this a link to the forum will appear in the left hand navigation column under ‘Laser User Groups’.

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The Technology Strategy Board

 

The Technology Strategy Board is all about driving innovation.

 

The Board's role is to stimulate technology-enabled innovation in the areas which offer the greatest scope for boosting UK growth and productivity. They promote, support and invest in technology research, development and commercialisation. They spread knowledge, bringing people together to solve problems or make new advances.

The Technology Strategy Board advises Government on how to remove barriers to innovation and accelerate the exploitation of new technologies. And they work in areas where there is a clear potential business benefit, helping today's emerging technologies become the growth sectors of tomorrow.

For more details about the Technology Strategy Board - click here
For more details about the strategy - click here
For more details about how to get involved - click here
For links into Competitions, Knowledge Transfer Networks and more - click here

Technology Strategy Board Competitions

 

European funding

A series of Framework 7 ICT calls relevant to Photonics are anticipated in the Autumn of 2009. The final work program has yet to be announced but you can find indication to the content here .

Check out the ‘interesting text’ and ‘a list of possible’ link for information that would allow you to start to think of relevant projects and partners. There are also current calls open in nanotechnology and new materials that may be relevant to you, see http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm.

Thanks to SEPNET, The South East Photonics Network, for supplying these summaries